A GAGGLE of retired miners button-holed me, flourishing a published list of closed pits under the heading of 'Death of the Lancashire Coalfields'.

They jabbed a finger at the name of Old Meadow Pit, Haydock, listed as having been closed in 1959 with the loss of 49 jobs.

"Where was it?" they demanded to know. "We've never heard of it. Mind you, with fewer than 50 men it must have been a very small pit".

One of their number, now in his seventies and a native of Haydock, chimed in: "I know Yick like the back of my hand and I've worked down most of old the local pits. But this one has me baffled. I can't believe it ever existed".

ANY coal-conscious history buff able to come up with some details, dates and the exact location of that mysterious rustic sounding Old Meadow mine?